The role played by cytokines, in particular by interleukin 1β (IL1-β) and tumour necrosis factor α (TNF-α) in the development of the inflammatory response is well documented (Dinarello C. A. and Wolff S. M., New Eng. J. Med. 328(2): 106113, 1993; Tracey K. J. and Cerami A., Crit. Care Med. 21: S415, 1993; Melli M. and Parente L., Cytokines and lipocortines in inflammation and differentiation, Wiley-Liss. New York 1990; Dawson M. M. Lymphokines and Interleukins. CRC Press. Boca Raton, Fla. 1991). Research directed towards finding substances capable of inhibiting the production of cytokines has led to the development of cytokine suppressive antiinflammatory drugs (CSAID), among which are included so-called non-traditional nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (Chiu G. C. Y. and Liou S. X. L, Exp. Opin. Ther. Patents, 6(1): 41, 1996). In some of these compounds, the presence of the hydroxylamine group appears to play a fundamental role in determining antiinflammatory activity (Tanaka et al., Chem. Pharm. Bull., 31(8) 2810-2819, 1983).
EP901465 describes derivatives of hydroxamic acid containing an amidobenzoic moiety, which are capable of inhibiting the production of TNF-α and which have antiinflammatory and immunosuppressive activity; said compounds have furthermore demonstrated antitumour activity, as described in EP0208151.